Building A New PC Sucks

I'm having some problems with my PC. As long as I leave it on, things are ok, but if I turn it off, I have to wait a long time before I can turn it back on. I've done everything I can to address heat issues, so I'm thinking that's not it. I've also bought a specific power supply to match the mobo, so that's not it.

Rather than fighting with it, I thought I would get a new Mobo, CPU and Memory and swap it out as I upgrade to windows 7.

I'm partial to Gigabyte, so I start researching mobo's. Holy Crap, it's painful. Stuff doesn't make a whole lot of sense. There is DDR3 1333Mhz Memory, PC 10600, PC 10660 and PC 10666. What?

So, I look at the officially supported memory from Gigabytes homepage and they only have a few 2GB modules. Newegg only has one and everyone is complaining about the memory.

I really wish they would fix the memory issues in todays mobo's. It seems like they are all so touchy and I hate ordering something that may or may not work.

Anyone have a mobo to recommend for Duo 2 Core? LGA 775 chipset....

As you know my system died as well. So I just researched a new MB/CPU/Memory set. I could not get the loan to buy them so I am using another system that I got.I will be getting an i7 system soon to replace the temp one but it won't be as nice as this setup.

I am partial to Asus MB's, they have always been solid for me over all. I had a gigibyte and it did not hold up for me. That does not mean there is anything wrong with them, I would get one of it had great reviews but all the Asus ones I have had were solid, even with my latest problem.

This is my list of the system I wanted to upgrade to, everything at NewEgg. Maybe you can buy two of everything 🙂

ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #:N82E16813131365
$289.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16813131365

Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor
Item #:N82E16819115202
$279.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16819115202

OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory
Item #:N82E16820227381
$144.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16820227381

COOLER MASTER Intel Core i7 compatible V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
Item #:N82E16835103055
$62.43
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16835103055

Tuniq TX-2 Cooling Thermal Compound
Item #:N82E16835154003
$4.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16835154003

Grand Total: $782.39

If you don't like Asus, everything else will work in an i7 system which I recommend. It is the best out right now.

Atomm, I will tell you a hint I have picked up in the last 5 years. Unless you are an overclocker, buy some nice Kingston ram and you will be 100% fine. It will last longer and run as fast if not faster than all the fancy gaming rams out there.

As for MB, 775 is a somewhat dated socket now, the i7's are coming down in price and the i5's seem nice, though I haven't researched. If you are truly looking for lga775,

I have done well with this guy in several builds including my own

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16813128380

I coupled it with this ram http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16820104097

I've had two gigabytes go bad on me outta about 5 or so. I went MSI this time. Also whatever board you get make sure it will accommodate the newer video card boxes. Alot of times you read where the sata ports are in the way. On one board I used I had to order two right angle sata connectors because of that, another one the system smart fan connector was in the way.

I think 775 is still fine to use, wth. You have to build for 3 now, might as well keep down the prices abit.

I've had good luck with OCZ ram with the oversized heatsinks and their rebates usually help with the price.

Egghead has a C2D 2.9 for $88.00 this week. Good price for the extra l2 ram.

I really debated on getting an I5 or going with the Duo 2 Core again. Since I'm running one of the original 2.13Ghz models, it's a significant jump to get the 3.0 Wolfdale version with 6MB of cache. And the cost difference is also significant between I5/I7 and Wolfdale.

I looked at Asus as well, but didn't like some of the features of the boards. I've bought them in the past and I like them. I'm just partial to Gigabyte at the moment.

Bubba, I was looking at the P45 version of that exact board. Maybe I'll try that ram with it even though it's not listed on the official list.

Here's part of the problem I'm having Bubba. This is from the user comments. It's listed as 1066 Ram, but it's actually 800Mhz Ram. This really irks me.

The SPD timings are only set for 800MHz operation, so you'll need to 'Overclock' the ram to 1066. Just setting the speed to 1066 won't do it though, you'll need to set the timings based on it's rated 7-7-7-20 speeds. Technically this is overclocking - but Kingston lists operation at 1066 with 7-7-7-20 timings. The product page has details, but it's a bit counter intuitive to not include the 1066 timings in SPD. Other than some configuration woes, this is solid!

Paladin, I like your build, but the cost is about Double what I want to spend. The reason is I'm cannibalizing my parts to upgrade my second system as well. So, I have to buy a new Hard Drive, Plus a Case with Power Supply. Finally, there is the Windows 7 itself.

And I'm trying to do this for under $500.

I'll keep digging. I may suck it up and build an I5, but I think the I7 is out of the question. It's just that this stuff didn't use to be so difficult.

Atomm I did a good build with the p45. I gave up on Asus a few years back, first off there is no tech support what so ever, but their designs always had some bad layout, like Lexx says with sata connectors in horrible places, or things that hit HSFs and also found their firmware to often be buggy. In the end I got sick of paying their premium price because they used to be the best. I have had decent luck with MSI. Great luck with gigabyte. Never had an ECS that didn't die quickly, done OK with DFI and horrible luck with Aopen.

Like I said I have only once had an issue with Kingston ram and they replaced it crossshipped immediatly. I almost always have one of the paired sticks of corsair go bad. I have never had to play with the settings for Kingston, and always had to for corsair. I have also had decent luck with OCZ ram.

As a rule of thumb I have always valued the L2 Cache above almost anything else to do with the proc. I will typically buy the highest L2 Cache proc I can get. That is where you gain speed and get a better chip IMHO. That is to say I would take a 200Mhz loss on the proc speed to get a higher L2 Cache. Look up the 1.86 Conroe, it out performs many of the lower L2 Cached chips with higher Mhz.

Of course all of this is my opinion but it is based on building and supporting many machines for me and clients. And I have always done quite well at building machines that are very reliable. But this is my opinion.

The last two MBs I bought were Gigabyte. I ended up RMAing each MB 3 fricking times each. That's a total of six months of not having my computer because the MB is being shipped or worked on. I gave up on the brand. They are usually the 1st to offer the latest and greatest features on a single MB, but I've found the reliability to be unacceptable. My last MB I ended up getting refunded for from NewEgg - it couldn't handle the memory that it was advertised to handle: 1066 mhz modules all required more volts than the MB could run stable with.

That being said, my work machine is running a Gigabyte MB, but it is revision 2 of the model I originally purchased - they ended up taking back revision 1 and sending me a brand new revision 2 board because the 1st one simply would not work. I've been running the P4 for about 7 years now and the system is pretty solid now.

I buy ASUS motherboards now. No brand is perfect though as the ASUS MB I bought my dad for Christmas only lasted a year before it died. I guess our preferences are shaped and skewed by our bad experiences. I feel your pain though. Memory compatibility issues are extremely frustrating. Sometimes you don't even know that's the issue until you're reinstalled Windows 5 times on 5 different hard drives. I wish I would have known about MetTest86 back then - it's a great, free utility to stress test your memory before you even install Windows.

I wish we would have used that test Larva recommended.

In the beginning of my gaming experiences I had constant crashes on l4d.

After my nerd has added Kingston memory I have 2GB more after that the issues stopped.
The 2 Gigas from corsair just were not enough it seemed.

As far as the mobo is concerned I am fairly happy with the Ausus P5Kpl.

Atomm, it has always been this complicated man.. You just never noticed 🙂

Yes it is true that everything we do is shaped by experience. I used to build systems for people as a side job and learned a lot back then. Though this was 10 years ago mind you, forever in computer terms. I have built a LOT of computers over the years, I am talking over 100 probably. I was easily building two or three a month for awhile there in the late 90's...

You simply cannot keep up with everything unless that is almost a hobby to you. 🙂
Some people just live for this stuff, like Larva, and those are the reviewers I read. They know all the high end stuff.

When I look for stuff now days I go and read and read and see what other dream systems people want/like/use even if the posts are up to a year old as by the time I can get them, they are cheaper 🙂

Lexx and I used to research this stuff together and go to computer fairs looking for specific items based on that. it was funny seeing people pushing other MB's when we KNEW what was good/better. Ahh the days when I used to do more with friends 🙂

I will say I am partial to Western Digital HD's. I basically HATE Maxtor but they were bought out by Seagate which was always..okay... Almost every time a HD goes bad for me at work or home in a computer, it is a Maxtor. I personally have great luck with WD's. I am in love with the black drives these days, almost raptor performance n a 7200 package, as I mentioned in another post.

Asus has been solid for me and in the past, I have two other machines running ASUS boards 24/7 with no problems. My machine that died was an Asus that ran for 5 years 24/7. I am still unsure if it is the MB or CPU or what, that died on me.

Gigibyte I always liked feature wise but have two dead MB's sitting there, unsure I would go back but as I said, if it had great reviews I would try them again, why not I guess..

MSI has been good for me as well in the past.

Those are the three main brands I have used personally.

Kingston memory is fine. I also like Crucial and OCZ. The OCZ in my build above was recommended by other reviewers. I have also had good luck with Corsair, some people say that Corsair is Bad, other that its awesome, I just go by the timings I want and read reviews.

My one MAIN recommendation is make sure you get GREAT coolers. Don't forget to get one for the bridge chips if they are prone to run hot. I think this may have been my downfall, the southbridge chip was prone to being really hot and I just used the standard heatsync. I think when I turned it of overnight it may have went.


If it was me Atomm and I had that much to spend, I would maybe go with another 775 dualcore system. or go with the i5; this is what I was going to do until I got a machine elsewhere.

"Core i5 750 is priced at just $200, and from the benchmarks you just saw you know it makes for an incredibly good buy. The Core i5 750 is supported by the same P55 motherboards as the Core i7 860, so expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $180 for the motherboard and $80 for a decent DDR3 4GB dual-channel memory kit. This brings the total platform cost at under $450."
http://www.techspot.com/review/195-mainstr...ance/page9.html

😉

This is the first time I have EVER used a store bought computer for my main machine. Weird...
I will be doing some modifications to it though, new PS/graphics card/sound card.... so it won't be totally stock. 🙂

Some great Wisdom there Paladin. Yeah nothing teaches you like experience. Every game rig I've ever built turns into a bigger project than anticipated, but I've learned from every build. I do enjoy it - it's a great feeling when you've finally put together a great new system using all of the latest techie toys.

I do like OCZ and Corsair memory. I've had several Western Digital drives, with mixed results. But if it goes bad while it's still under warranty then you'll be in good shape, as long as you back things up regularly. I've been loving SeaGate drives lately - they've been very fast and reliable for me. I've got two maxtor drives - one went bad and the other OEM one I had to low-level format with their custom utility just to get it to work. So I'm not a big fan of Maxtors either.


Here's the download site for MemTest86:
http://www.memtest86.com/download.html

What I do is download the ISO and burn a CD with it. Then make sure your system can boot from the CD/DVD drive. Then just let it churn overnight. By morning if the system has made several successful passes then your memory is likely stable. It's helped me discover when I've pushed my overclocking too far. I'd rather have it error out BEFORE booting/installing windows.

Thanks Paladin. That was a good read. I'm going to revisit the I5 again and see what I can come up with.